The Trump administration is currently engaged in discussions with various countries, pushing for what President Trump refers to as "deals" ahead of impending tariff increases set to take place on August 1. However, the interpretation of what constitutes a trade deal has become increasingly ambiguous under his leadership.
For Trump, a trade deal can be anything he deems fit, vastly diverging from the conventional lengthy and intricate agreements. This includes partnerships like the brief framework deal announced with the UK in May, comprising only a handful of pages and centered around promises that require further negotiation.
The president has also dubbed a recent handshake agreement with Vietnam a “Great Deal of Cooperation,” despite no publicly released documentation clarifying the specifics of the agreement's terms. This raises concerns over transparency and the validity of such proclamations.
Additionally, Trump has characterized the recently agreed-upon truce with China as a trade deal, although this merely entails a rollback of previous tariffs without fundamentally altering trade regulations.
In a recent cabinet meeting, he went so far as to extend the term "deal" to refer to one-sided notifications sent out to other nations regarding new tariff rates, highlighting the administration's unorthodox approach to international trade agreements. As the landscape of global trade continues to evolve, the true implications of these so-called deals remain to be seen.
